


Bars In Your Head

by whatisreggieshortfor



Series: Brothers Never Stray Far [8]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Flynn is a good friend, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Luke is a good husband, M/M, Prison, Reggie deserves all the hugs, Reggie gets all the hugs, Reggie’s mom is a monster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:36:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27119657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatisreggieshortfor/pseuds/whatisreggieshortfor
Summary: Reggie decides to visit his mother in prison. Julie thinks he’s nuts, but understands he needs the closure. Flynn and Luke tag along because they don’t trust Lily.
Relationships: Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: Brothers Never Stray Far [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1971757
Comments: 9
Kudos: 142





	Bars In Your Head

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CinderSong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinderSong/gifts).



Luke didn’t want him to go.

Julie didn’t want him to go.

Alex, Willie, Flynn, Ray, none of them wanted him to go.

Reggie decided he needed to visit Lily Shada.

But Luke isn’t letting his husband go alone.

Six months after the wedding, Reggie was walking into Northwest Women’s State Penitentiary with Luke and Flynn right behind him. Flynn had called in a favor with her cousin, the lawyer that had tried the case against Lily, and got the three of them approved for the visit. The first problem was the metal detector. The guards posted at the detector shared an uncomfortable look as they told Reggie he would need to remove his prosthetics to enter the facility. Reggie sighed, resigned to just taking them off. Luke was not happy. “My husband can’t wear his leg? Are you kidding? There are inmates that get to keep theirs!” Flynn calmly grabbed Luke’s shoulder, nudging her head at Reggie, who was already in the process of trying to balance on his good leg to get the other one off. “Oh, Regs.” Luke gave up that fight immediately, moving instead to remove the leg while Flynn let Reggie lean on her.

”It’s fine.” Reggie muttered as he passed his left hand to the guard. “I’ll get them when we leave. Luke, do you mind if I-“ But Luke was already leading Reggie through the metal detector, slipping Reggie’s arm around his shoulder once they were both through. “Thank you, love.” Reggie whispered into Luke’s shoulder as Flynn made her way to them.

”Anything for you, baby.” Luke pressed a quick kiss to Reggie’s forehead, making a mental plan to clear their schedule when they got out. He knew moving with the prosthetic tired Reggie out, and without it he would end up exhausted. They were led down a narrow grey hallway, nothing but cement lining the walls, until they reached a door with a small safety glass window. The guard opened the door, standing as far out of the way as possible so Luke could get Reggie through the opening. The guard instructed the three of them to sit at the table, and to stick to one side. Luke sat on Reggie’s left, Flynn on his right. They were already in protector mode. They weren’t going to let Lily touch him.

When the door opened on the other side of the room, the second problem happened. They were surprised to see Lily didn’t enter alone. Another inmate entered with her. “Who the hell is this?” Flynn growled rather than greeted.

”Oh, Reginald! I’m so glad you decided to visit!” The dark skinned woman said brightly, sitting beside Lily at the table. Reggie blinked at the woman, looking between her and his mom.

”Uh, hello?”

”Oh,” the woman fluttered her hands in a way that made it seem like she was embarrassed, “I should introduce myself. My name is Tia Shada. Your mother and I just got married yesterday.”

”You have to be fucking kidding me.” Luke muttered as he stared at the women in front of him. “After she literally tried to kill me on our wedding day, she went and married a woman.”

Tia’s brow furrowed, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” She said carefully, “Lily tried to stop the person that burned the hall.”

”And what? Every eye witness that saw her do it is wrong?” Flynn barked. Reggie was still staring at the women in front of him.

”Lily,” Reggie’s voice was eerily void of emotion, “I just want closure between us. I want you to tell me why I was raised the way I was. Why I was raised in a house that was void of love and happiness.”

”Oh, Reginald, that can’t be true.” Tia smiled, “Lily is such a loving person.”

“That’s enough, Tia.” Lily muttered. Tia looked like she was being scolded by a teacher. “You want the real truth? It was because I never wanted you. I was dating your father in high school, got pregnant and was forced into a marriage because my father refused to let his daughter go to an abortion clinic. Is that what you want to know?”

Reggie, to his credit, did not break at the tone in her voice, or the words she said. Instead, he simply nodded. “I hope you have better luck in this marriage.” He stood up, balancing on one leg as Luke rushed to stand beside him, he gave his mother one last look, “Just so you know though, you didn’t stop us from getting married. As soon as we could leave the fire scene, Luke and I got married. And it was honestly beautiful and perfect. It’s a shame you couldn’t be a mother and be there yourself. Because you may not have wanted me, but there are people that do. And for them I would deal with you a million times over.”

”Oh, you think those people actually want you? Are we talking about the criminals you’ve given free housing to? The man that married you to keep you around when he needs you?” Lily stood up, reaching across the table and grabbing onto Reggie’s bicep. “No matter what happens, you will always be a curse.” Before Reggie could blink, Flynn ripped his mother’s grip off his arm, slamming her wrist into the tabletop.

”If you ever lay another finger on my brother, I will do far worse things than break bones.” She snarled as Lily cradled her wrist to her chest in pain. “Guard!” She hollered, “We’re ready to leave.”

No one spoke on the way out of the prison. Once Reggie had his prosthetics back, they climbed onto the bus home, gently rushing away from the prison. Luke held Reggie close to him, humming softly as Reggie played with his hands. Flynn sat across the aisle from them, rubbing slow circles into Reggie’s ankle. When they realized why Alex did it, all of his friends took up the task when they thought he needed it. And today he needed it. Luke could feel the thoughts swirling around in his head. As they got off the bus, making their way slowly to the shop, Luke had one arm curled around Reggie’s waist, leading the way so Reggie could focus on his other hand. Flynn broke the silence, “You know what she said isn’t true, right, Reg?”

”Hmm?” He hummed noncommittally, still focusing on his husband’s fingers.

Luke nudged him, smiling softly when Reggie’s gaze met his, “You aren’t a curse, Reggie. You are the greatest thing to ever happen to me. You have been since I met you in fourth grade. And then you brought Alex into my life a year later, and because of you he met Willie. That doesn’t sound like a curse to me.” Luke spoke gently, softly letting the words hit Reggie in the rushing city. “No matter what she ever says to you, no matter what your beautiful brain ever tells you,” Luke pressed a fingertip to Reggie’s forehead as his husband giggled, “You are not a curse. You are a miracle.” Luke let Reggie tuck his head into his neck as they walked. He could see his eyes getting heavy already. “Flynn,” he whispered, catching her attention.

”Don’t worry. You take him up for a nap. I’ll tell the others what happened.” Luke nodded at her words, gently guiding Reggie to the stairs as the shop came into view. As he got Reggie ready for bed, he hummed the song he sang at the wedding.

”’S pretty.” Reggie muttered through a yawn. “You have such a pretty voice.”

”I’m glad you think so, baby. You should get some rest. Do you want me to stay?” Reggie nodded, making grabby hands at his husband. Luke laughed as he set the pieces of Reggie against his night stand. “I love you, Regs.”

”I love you, too, Luke.” Reggie pressed a tired kiss to Luke’s lips before nestling into him.

Luke knew the others would be as angry as he was about the visit. But he also knew they would be there for Reggie when he was ready for them. And more than that, Luke knew that Lily was wrong. Because no one as sweet and kind hearted as Reggie could ever be a curse.


End file.
